Haycock likely to stay in Quakertown district

Official: Poll on school affiliation probably won't be taken.

March 01, 2007|By Brian Callaway Of The Morning Call

An attention-grabbing plan to have Haycock Township secede from the Quakertown Community School District has apparently faltered.

The township's government is backing away from plans to poll residents on the idea, officials said, and the neighboring Palisades School District, which Haycock would have joined under the proposal, isn't interested in taking on the extra students.

Meanwhile, Quakertown's school board passed a resolution last week calling for Haycock to remain "an integral part of the school district's structure."

Kelly Van Valkenburgh, Quakertown School Board president, said members decided it was time to address the secession proposal "rather than dancing around it."

Haycock resident Deb Lacey raised the idea of changing districts last year at a meeting of the township's elected supervisors.

Lacey, who did not return calls for comment for this story, said at the time that she was angry at the Quakertown district for multiple reasons, including its property tax rate.

The property tax rate levied in the Quakertown district is 118.21 mills, nearly 28 percent higher than the 92.375 mill rate levied by the Palisades School District.

Haycock officials said at the time they would consider including a poll in an upcoming township newsletter to gauge citizen support for changing districts.

Township Supervisor Kathy Babb said last week that such a poll probably won't be included in the newsletter now.

"Certain school board members' remarks" made it seem like a switch probably wouldn't happen even if most Haycock residents support it, she said.

Charlie Herrmann, who sits on the Palisades School Board, said the district fears the amount of tax revenue it would get if Haycock joined wouldn't be enough to cover costs for the additional students.

"We think it's a big compliment," he said, but "it doesn't make sense to incur the extra expenses."

Paul Stepanoff, a member of the Quakertown School Board and a Haycock resident who's also criticized the district's tax rate, ended up voting for the resolution opposing the switch.

He said the district should oppose the shift because it involves an intense -- and possibly costly -- legal process.

"What if we put all that money into making Quakertown a place that people don't want to secede from?" he said.

A municipal secession from one school district in favor of another is a lengthy process that involves citizen petitions, court hearings, and approval from the state's education secretary.

Officials believe the last time a Pennsylvania municipality successfully transferred from one school system to another was in 1993, when East Brady Township switched from the Armstrong School District in Clarion County to the Karns City School District in neighboring Butler County. The change was approved because a bridge was washed out, making it more difficult for East Brady students to get to Armstrong schools.

Haycock isn't the only municipality where residents have talked of joining the Palisades School District.

In 2004, some residents of the Bucks County borough of Riegelsville began a petition drive to leave the Northampton County-based Easton Area School District in favor of Palisades. That effort did not succeed.

brian.callaway@mcall.com

215-529-2607

CHANGING DISTRICTS

In order for Haycock Township to secede from the Quakertown Community School District and join the Palisades School District:

Residents would have to petition for the change.

Hearings would be held in Bucks County Court.

The state's education secretary would have to approve the plan and evaluate its educational merits.